Many people say they have no use for a cordless miter saw. The general idea is that you set up a station and you don’t really need to move it around much on the job site. I have a different view point though. I HATE Cords simple and direct. I work on many jobs where there is one or maybe two receptacles for many people to share in many trades. With that scenario we deal with tripping breakers and possibly Tool damage from voltage drops. Then you have the problem of somebody coming along and unplugging your cord so they can run their tool. Heavy duty cordless tools solve all of those problems and more. I applaud DeWalt for developing this heavy duty tool platform that is also backwards compatible with their current 20 V Max line.

I have had every generation of DeWalt and Makita sliding compound miter saws since the old 708 came out. I have tried every other brand along the way and keep coming back to DeWalt. They just feel right to me. They have been dialed for many years. I have found that people who have never used them before figure them out faster than any other saws.

The capacity is tops or near the top in each successive generation. The accuracy out of the box is usually very good. If there is a problem it is usually very easily adjusted by the careful carpenter.

The DHS790 Flexvolt saw is nearly identical to the dws780 before it. The 780 was really close to the dws718 before it. Each generation has gotten better and better.

The biggest change of course on the new saw is the corded/cordless flexibility you have with it. It can be ordered with the 120 V adapter or without. They can be ordered with or without batteries as well.
It is truly amazing to me that it feels stronger on batteries than when plugged into the wall. It spins up faster and has amazing torque on battery power! 2x 3x even 4×12 hardwoods are no problem. Framing lumber is butter to this beast. Here is a video of it cutting a white oak 4×6??https://instagram.com/p/BR54S1lgTWk/

I ordered my saw with the 2.0 60 V Max batteries. They are also rated at 6.0 A hours at 20 V Max. They are good for 100’s of cuts. Of course runtime will vary with material size and density as well as blade condition. Since that time the 3.0 20 V Max batteries have come out and they are giving a much higher improvement in runtime than 3.0 vs 2.0 would suggest. With heavy use in continuous cutting they are giving more than double the runtime. This is partially because the 3.0 batteries are using the 20700 cells which are 20 mm x 700 mm. The 2.0 batteries are using the 18650 cells which are 18mm x 650mm. There is a substantial difference in the size and the formulation inside the cells. They are much better suited to delivering higher amperage output without wasting energy to heat. It may mean the difference between using the batteries for half a day or a full day on one charge.

One less noticeable difference with the new saw is the XPS Light was shelved and replaced with a dual LED cutline indicator. It is basically the same thing but the XPS was a single LED split by the blade and the cutline LEDs are on either side of the blade for a sharper shadow line and brighter light. One of the changes that I don’t really feel is an improvement is on the lighting control. It comes on when you squeeze the trigger or touch the light button but it will not stay on continuously like on the DWS 780. I have heard many people state that they wish they could stay on and I agree.

I have always thought the Dewalt fences were among the best in the industry. They are often taller than other brands and offer great flexibility with no hassle. The flexvolt saw will cut a 1″x8″ standing up against the fence. In normal configuration the saw will easily cut larger than a 2 x 12 but the fence is removable to allow for 16 inch wide cross cut with the back fence. So far I know of no other saw besides the DeWalt dws 780 with this feature and capacity. The miter scale is stainless steel and is easily adjusted if your angles are off. It is marked in one degree increments up to 50° on the left and 60°to the right. There are additional marks at 22.5, 31.6 and 35.3 which are commonly used angles to make 45° miter or to cut crown molding flat on the table with a complimentary bevel angle. There are detents at 0°, 15° and 22.5°. To release it from the detents there is a thumb button. To lock at other angles you simply push the lock lever down. To release it you lift up. Over the course of many years I have never seen someone struggle with learning these controls.

The bevel lock handle is at the rear of the saw and is not as convenient as some with upfront controls. It is however simple to use and very effective. It is set to bevel 0 to 45 left or right. There are overrides on each side that will allow you to go deeper in the bevel up to 49° by simply pulling on a small metal lever. There are also some heavy duty positive stops for 22.5° and 33.9°. Where these positive stops actually end up are easily adjustable with a bolt on either side.

There is a trenching feature that consists of a small steel flip down lever and an adjustable set screw for setting of the trench or dado. It limits the depth the saw will plunge so you can make a cut without going through the material completely.

The onboard blade changing wrench stores nicely in the base and is also helpful in making adjustments to this off without having extra tools. This is not the simplest blade changing operation I have seen but it is not overly complicated.

The saw came with a standard general purpose blade that also comes on the corded miter saws. It also came with a high-performance flexvolt 60 tooth blade which is optimized for cordless efficiency and quality of cut. I was very impressed with the flex volt blade. I am not usually impressed with factory blades unless the saw comes from Festool or Makita. This one however does a respectable job of making clean cuts with little tear out or run out. It does in fact increase the number of cuts you can make on one charge.

The weakest area of performance for the flexvolt Miter saw is dust collection. Dewalt has many saws with better dust collection capabilities. The 20v max 7 1/4″ is one. The DWS717 10″ is another. All of the DeWalt non slide saws are better for dust collection. The collection system is a long horizontal tube with a flexible boot close to the blade and an airlock connection at the back of the saw. The air lock connection fits Dewalt dust extractor hoses perfectly. I like this connection because it is very secure and locks and unlocks with a simple twist of the locking ring

This is a rather large saw but it is more compact than many 12 inch saws. It is around 56 pounds so one person can carry it but it is probably not a fun task for anybody. It can be lifted from the top handle when stowed correctly or it can be lifted from the base with two hands.
I will add to this review with updates from time to time but this gives a good overview up to this point. Overall this is my top choice for general carpentry miter saws. Cordless or corded. If you are in the Market for a new top tier miter saw, the Flexvolt should be on your shortlist.
Order at ACME Tools?? http://bit.ly/2oqxj0q

708 Comments

Matt

I ran into an issue with this saw and want to see if anyone else found the same thing. When I flip the depth stop out of the way and lower the blade all the way, it contacts a small plastic bump out in the bottom of the channel. I haven’t made a cut at this depth because I didn’t want to cut something I shouldn’t cut. I’m sure the blade will rip through it on the first cut and it will no longer be an issue but I’m just curious if this is there for a reason.

Ricky Lucier

Good review! Just started following on ig a couple weeks ago, been my go to for tool info, the reason I made the desision to start to make the switch to flex volt. I’ve got a couple batteries I run my regular 20v saw with.
IG:lucier88

Michael Easley

Scott Goodsell

Apostolos drogaris

Brandon Reed

My IG name is breed1981. This saw looks awesome! My wife’s ex-stepdad has rent houses that he remodels as a second job. He has really helped us out remodeling our own home over the years. I know he could use this saw. Congrats on 80k!

My wife and I just bought our first home together after getting married last year. It’s 9 acres and needs a lot of fixing up in places that electricity isn’t ran. I’ve been looking at cordless miter saws and this review really helped making my decision. While the DeWalt is more expensive than the others I’ve looked at it’s clearly the one for me. I’ll go pick mine up next week. Thank you for the review and all your reviews and advice on Instagram!

Chandler Cole

Chris Hillier

These are well written and thorough, very much appreciate you spending the additional effort to provide non-partisan information time and time again. These have helped me make a decision when I was on the fence between one or more purchase options, plus has shed light on information I knew nothing about. Thanks very much and keep them coming!

Nick DiBello

Peter Brady

Toolpig great review. I can totally relate to tripping breakers. My wife and I are working on our new fixerupper home which is 100 years old. We put in hours after work and on the weekends and have to deal with breakers popping left and right. Another tool with its own power/battery source would be a big help. Congrats on your Instagram success and Happy Easter. @cutthroatfishing

Jeff Hoepker

I have yet to use one if these but am looking forward to it. I’ve used the corded DeWalt 12″ slide for years in the shop and it looks like they’ve improved on some of my complaints. Good job DeWalt.
@jeff_t_dadof3

Cody kissell

Jeremiah Hanna

Man this bad boy would be perfect for those jobs out in the middle of nowhere. You know the ones. Take about an hour to get to and twenty five minutes to do. ?? That would all change with this bad boy! SCIENCE!!

John-Paul Neagu

Been following you for a while now and every time I buy a new tool I check to see what you think of it! This saw looks amazing and the fact that you can plug it in or use batteries makes it even better!

David king

Brian M

I’m a Milwaukee guy but Dewalt has miter saws down, they really do. The TTI products are good but Dewalt is the best you can get from the big brands. Add cordless into a Dewalt 12″ saw and you have the king of the hill. Great review, keep up the good work man!

Austin Lisenby

hamish Mccall

Josiah

I love what you said about not having to have your saw in one location on site and just leaving it. I’m just beginning my journey as a carpenter and am learning the value of portability and accessibility and obviously having good tools. I don’t think there’s any question in saying that the flexvolt is the way to go. Why buy a corded saw when you can buy the flexvolt with the adapter for more extensive use, but still have capability to go cordless when more convienent and necessary. Thanks for a great review, and I look forward to more!

Keith

Your reviews help me so much with my tool purchases! I really do appreciate your feedback on tools and I trust your judgement when it comes to selecting the right ones for the job site! Thanks toolpig
IG: keithsheehan

Coleman

Jeremy

Ryan Kulhanek

This saw may be the reason I switch battery platforms! I too am not a fan of cords and just ran into the problem of sharing outlets at our current job site. This would definitely come in handy! *forgot to add my IG account. Check out my work! @ark_unlimited

Josh Baarstad

IG: Norwehoutdoor
Awesome review! Love following you on insta, your reviews help me a lot.
I’ve always been a dewalt guy and I really want to transfer over to the flexvolt system. That miter saw would be a great start and would help me make the switch 😉 Thx Zack

Cody

Ehin

Boy what a beautiful saw. Best one out there IMO. Not that anyone asked. I’ve used the Bosch and makita but the Dewalt is my go to for miter saws. Great for those small jobs when busting out a cord is a pain in the butt. Just saving time and money. Can’t wait to be able to get one of these. Great review Paul!

nd636

@nealyboyy

Man Toolpig is almost to 80k followers that’s incredible I remember when that number was a lot closer to 800 followers. This is another unreal giveaway that I just have to get an entry in. It would be awesome to have that DHS790 Flexvolt coming my way.

Dov Goldman

Mike Marvin

Alexis

Wow this looks and sounds awesome! I would love to add it to the collection. I’d also like to add; I’m huge fan of cordless as well. I’m often on jobsites up country and finding any type of plug could be a couple miles out. Yeah generators are the go to, but that generator roar all day… yup not a fan of that either.
Crossing my fingers for a good chance with this baby!

Travis

Matthew Mills

Forgot to do my IG in my previous comment but would be very cool to own this! I like the hybrid option of the dewalt and seeing that after I get married I’m going to be buying a miter saw for some projects and to hopefully remodel a house it would be nice to own this tool!
IG: matt_mills8

Bo

Manuel from ARTISTSPACE

Matthew Merrick

Awesome review. I’ve been watching YouTube videos on this animals for weeks now debating whether to buy this of the flex volt circular saw next. New to tools and my first purchase was the new dewalt hammer drill and drill combo. Added a 60 volt max reciprocating saw shortly after. I’m working on a job site and getting ready for trim and flooring and this would really help

Brad Lawson

Jeremy Johnson

This is on my wishlist right now I’m so close to being all cordless. I can’t wait till the day I pick one up finances are tight right now. I’ve heard nothing but great things about this Saw. Good review Paul.

Oleg

Mitch Klassen

Mitch Klassen

I’ve always been a makita guy but this is a sweet idea, I do really like Dewalt fences as well. I do a lot of work between cites doing repairs and renos so this would be an awesome tool to the lineup. Tough competition with the new kapex coming out recently though. Thanks for the review

Chris S

We have a mutual hate for cords. I’ll add that at our shop (a set/scenery shop) we are constantly rolling cases and stages thru during builds and even with them taped down it can be a pain to navigate.

I’m not sure that battery powered saws are the answer at the shop – but would certainly come in handy onsite where access to power is limited! Thanks for the extensive review! Im hoping to get one this year!
-greenestaging

John Gleeson

Great review of an awesome looking saw, congratulations on 75K you are probably one of the first “tool guys” people come across when the start out on Instagram, I know you have certainly guided a few of my purchases, that saw is a dream saw! @angkorconstruction

Israel meremelstein

Boy oh boy, I would build so much treehouse with this badass! I’d love to adopt this black n yellow monster as my first DeWalt. I’ve been a Makita man for years but have a keen eye on this new Flexvolt approach. Y’all have great reviews and IG page. Keep it up!
-Tabor, The Canopy Crew LLC
IG = @donedoer

Robert Singletary

Chandler Bawcun

I have always been skeptical of battery powered large tools.. no matter the chemical composition batteries always deteriorate.. I just have trouble trusting high output batteries to perform for many years to come.. obviously drills and nail guns benefit greatly.. but a miter saw!! I guess I’m just biased because I’ve had a really poor experience with Milwaukee batteries and chargers.. I own the dewalt cordless framing nailer and it’s a beast, so maybe I should open up and put my faith into a new brand. If you say it stands up to its claim prove me wrong!! Ig: chandler_concepts

José Contreras

Christian Leman

Thanks for the review! I have been looking for a new miter saw and leaning towards dewalt. It’s good to know the cordless option has plenty of power but also comes with a corded adapter. How does this compare to the Festool Apex as far as accuracy goes?

It’s very hard to beat the Festool. I suppose if I am really getting down to the nitty-gritty I will prefer it. It is also much cleaner with the dust extractor which in some cases means it is the only saw for me to use. For general cutting and trimming out the Dewalt is easier and has a much larger capacity.

Michelle Johnson

The thought of being able to set this saw up and get to work right out of the back of the van is exciting!

As a remodeler I do my best to keep the mess and noise in the least inconvenient location for my clients. That often means running long lengths of extension cords from poorly located exterior outlets (or worse, running cords under storm doors). This saw solves that issue! No damage to my equipment! No time wasted prancing around muddy mulch beds to get to outlets ??.

Jason mcclung

Devon Arguello

I will say my DeWalt 780 is my absolutely favorite. After reviewing and comparing it to others absolutely love that thing. I have seen these saws and they look amazing. It might be time to really look into them. It would be nice to have a cordless option on occasion for smaller jobs.

Shayne Smiley

Shayne Smiley

Brad Pickard

Tonylandin001

Thanks for this in depth review of this miter saw. I have been looking at this saw since it was first announced. I am a huge dewalt fan and have entered into the flexvolt line with only the circular saw and am very impressed with it over the older 20v max circular saw. This saw would make a great asset to my arsenal. @tonylandin001 on Instagram longtime follower on multiple multimedias #teamtoolpig

James King

Kris

Keep up the great reviews. I would love to start getting into the dewalt flexvolt line for my remodeling business but it’s hard to switch over. Getting this saw would be unbelievable, but regardless love your page and keep it up
@mendermen

Daria

Chris

Kevin

Kevin

Really love your honesty in your reviews it really makes it easy to find good quality tools I use mostly dewalt just because generations of family used dewalt and they are a great company keep up the good work man I really appreciate it

Daniel archan

Looks like an awesome saw I have yet to own any flex bold products but have seriously looked into it maybe later down the road I’ll get me some flex volt gear nice little write up some great info on this product!! Keep up the good work sir

Matt Goff

This thing sounds sick! I agree with the plan and simple hating cords. Part of it for me is that I don’t have a shop, so everything runs off me unplugging/plugging in on 1 extension cord in the back yard. Sounds like a great tool, dude! Followed you! & The ig handle is @thetimberedwolf

Todd O.

Maritess S

I do not consider myself a power tool expert but since I married a tradesperson, I have been very discriminating in buying and using tools. Thanks for first hand reviews by users/bloggers like you that I get more info before making a decision.

Korby Lunt

To be completely honest, I have only really used DeWalt for my work. I am a finish carpenter of only a little more than a year, but I have loved them. Even some of the older models have been great! Also, it’s so frustrating showing up to a job that only has the one temporary power outlet and having to find it and then running cords a half mile around the house just so you can set up where you want. This thing would be a game changer for me!

David

Danny malesku

Jason

Aaron Sapp

Sweet Giveaway!!! Wow! I knew I wanted this thing the first time I saw you review it. I love my DeWalt Cordless nail guns, drills, circular & recip saws. I just need to finish it off and go FlexVolt for mitre/table saw. I run a lot of small trim jobs and can’t wait to be free of cords.

Ryan Masker

I’m surprised you didn’t zero in on the weight. That’s a huge turnoff for a one man band who’s on difffernt jobs often. I’d love to try it first hand and see. It seems most
Practicsl for decks which I try to do a lot of and wish I could do more of. My day to day I’m 95% cordless, and this would certainly help with that.

RAMON LYN

You better believe I am all over this. I am in love with that saw and such a great review from the master himself. Just go ahead and throw my name into the drawing and congrats on reaching yet another milestone on IG.

Nat ranson

Bennet milloy

Joshua Marsh

Great write up. At first when these came out I didn’t really think it was that necessary of a tool category. When would you need a full size miter saw and not have power. Since then we’ve had a couple of jobs that completely changed my mind on it. Flood damaged homes here in Florida where the electric was turned off and one huge custom home we were installing cabinets in but it still wasn’t hooked up to power. Only way to power our saws was run 200′ + of power cords. Would love to try this saw out. Starting to see the situations where this would be very useful!
Plus your Instagram giveaway is awesome and very generous to the Insta construction community.
Insta name @keepercon

Drew Easton

@dreweaston85

Congrats on reaching 75k!

I would really appreciate winning this bad boy. I Have a massive Dewalt collection already. And would love this saw for myself. But i would re-gift this to my boy, who taught me half of what i know. Because… about A month ago I knocked his dewalt 12″ off a table that was as old as Connor McDavid! 1997
Needless to say it is a little worse for wear! But a little/lot of electrical tape to put the shattered handle back together, and it still works!
#dewalttough

Darrin Davis

Melinda Hundertmark

Hey Paul…Joel and I really need this. We have been remodeling our bathroom with a lot of miter cuts for molding and trim. We are using my dads DW miter saw but it would be awesome to have our own!
IG name: me100mark

Jordan Godwin

Congrats! Love seeing your posts, they have definitely lead to some tool purchases, which I am happy with thanks to your reviews. Dewalt killed it on this saw. I’m super impressed.
Soon you’ll be at 100k.

Jake ridgeway

mandeep

Rodney Jay Clark

My dad gave me a Dewalt 12″ in 2003. It still makes me money so your review is no surprise to me and I am SOOO ready to upgrade and ditch the cord. I would parade this saw around the fire station like a new show pony (G rated version lol).
Thank you for all the helpful info.
IG 2011rjc911

Austin Werrmann

Christian Kerr

I have been waiting for the cordless miter saws to come out, I hate cords just as much as you and this is the last tool I use, besides my ct26, that is corded. I appreciate the insight as I was curious how it performed!

Christian Kerr

I have been waiting for the cordless miter saws to come out, I hate cords just as much as you and this is the last tool I use, besides my ct26, that is corded. I appreciate the insight as I was curious how it performed!

Lloyd

Christine N.

The options that are available with this sound great. Finding a longer-lasting battery that actually stands for the amount of time suggested would be great. I look forward to learning more about that 3.0 battery.

Thank you for the detailed review; it helps to make purchasing decisions easier.

Ryan Robertson @ryguy7778

My wife and I love making custom wood signs, dog houses. That’s is what I call the hot shit. Sounds like it can tear up some wood m. We would love to put that to use, the harbor freight saw could be retired.

Brian

I’m starting out woodworking and I am looking to get a mitersaw and if I win this it would really help. I heard that it’s faster. I would really have the need for a cordless one because my so called shop is outdoors out of reach of an outlet

Kevin Meadows

Matthew Desjardins

I’m a mid 20s couple years experienced carpenter north of Boston … would love to show up with this and prove to my older co workers cordless is the future!!! More power left headaches(cords and hoses)
Awesome giveaway!!!

Ooooooh your review makes picking up one of these saws vs picking up the Flexvolt Circular Saw tougher. Sticker shock on the mitre had me leaning to the Circ, but if it’s as beastly as you say, might give it a go first. Decisions! Never Fun!

Josh Caruso

Had the DEWALT rep out at our showroom this afternoon going over this and the rest of the flex volt stuff. Looks promising for sure. Really would like to see how well the dust collection works though. That’s one of the main things I’m after anymore.

Jason H

Tyler Fay

I am renovating a 117 year old 7 bed 3 bath Victorian by myself and cannot afford a better mitre saw than my crappy Harbor Freight that has the worst deflection in history. I get all non trade work largely done by my self, an accurate mitre saw would help me largely. @thebmoremoneypit

givingtreewoodshop

Jake Imer

I think dewalt hit the nail on the head with this saw. The flexvolt batteries are very impressive on the skill saws and I would love to try them out on this saw! Located in rural Montana electricity isnt aways available on certain jobs and can be a major hassle running long extension cords. Cant wait to get my hands on one of these!
Instagram: jakeimer

John white

Philip White

Just biding my time until it’s within my budget. Started going cordless with some tools and now I hate unwinding and packing up cords and hoses at the jobsite. Maybe we’ll see a battery Kapex soon too? IG @flipwoodwork

Alex

I believe that the less traditional cordless tools are going to be used more widely by everyone fairly soon. Who wouldn’t want the option to have a tool in the shop one day then on a jobsite that afternoon? With the advancements being made by the tool companies it is only a matter of time.

easyburn83

Joining in on the action. Read the review. Yeah I’ve done my research on meters and chop saws. Have not forked out money to buy one. Maybe I’m waiting for the right price. Thank you for taking the time to tell us the pros and cons of the new tools you have discovered. #toolpig

Jarod Moreau

Awesome write up. I could definitely see this being of use on new construction as you pointed out. It would come in handy with hotel work or big buildings where you could put it on a cart and wheel it around with you and not have to worry about dragging around a cord. Work smarter not harder! IG cdm_woodwork

Bill

Brian Hebert

Andrew Luethge

For the most part I’ve never seen the need for a cordless mitersaw in the past, but now that I know they’re available I see more and more opportunities to use it! Now I want one! It helps that there really isn’t any drop in function. Another great, unbiased review Paul!

Josh Baarstad

respi3

Ever since batteries became lighter and battery life lasted longer between charges I’ve been sold. The mere fact one battery can power so many different tools is so benificial. Hazard with cords not to mention the work it takes to wrap up a 100 foot cord is the reason why I will never go back to corded tools. Dewalt and carhartt for life.
@respi3

respi3

Ever since batteries became lighter and battery life lasted longer between charges I’ve been sold. The mere fact one battery can power so many different tools is so benificial. Hazard with cords not to mention the work it takes to wrap up a 100 foot cord is the reason why I will never go back to corded tools. Dewalt and carhartt for life.
@respi3
Thanks
And continued success

Jonathan

respi3

Austin Lisenby

This would be an amazing addition for me, as I’m just starting out building my own construction company at 20. It’s the best of both worlds as it is cordless with the option of being corded. I would love to have it! Thanks for you’re insight, even if I don’t win it definitely going to be my next big purchase.

Nathan

Raymond Espinal

Ever since cordless batteries got lighter as lasted longer between charges I was sold. The mere fact that one battery can work for an assortment of tools makes life so less complicated not to mention your arms don’t die out wrapping up hundred foot cords. Great saw great battery dewalt and carhartt for life!!!

Brad Horner

Kevin

I’m a twenty-something interior designer. My buisness partner is also a college graduate and lifelong handyman. We started a little side buisness years ago restoring vintage furniture. We finally quit our crappy office jobs to be contractors. Dream is to restore old houses. We’re finally picking up steady business. Our handmedown saws are in bad shape. We’ve been day dreaming about this bad boy !!!

Daniel Oad

Kevin

I am currently living in a rental house. My basement workshop has access to exactly one 15 amp duplex outlet. I desperately need a saw like this for my shop. It will handle any task I can throw at it and does not tie up valuable outlet space or overload the circuit!

John

Jesus Sotelo

I agree on the problem when there’s only 1 or 2 light plugs in a job site and there’s a bunch of trades trying to work and not enough outlets.
This is great for that, no need for the cord and hassle.
@jesusms88

Clive Bennett

Tim Seymour

I’ve had my eye on this saw since the release of FlexVolt. It would be a dream come true to get my hands on one for the jobs I do out in the field without electricity. DEWALT has defiantly changed the game in cordless jobsites.

Chris bowie

Chris donato

Casey LaMar

The direction, the pace and the progress that the tool game is on right now is really amazing. There are great new tools coming out what feels like everyday. And this saw is the perfect example of that. It’s a game changer.